Journeys Road

The threat of a solitary Nazarene carpenter brings together three of the most powerful and most unlikely conspirators in all of Rome-controlled lands:

Temple Ruler Caiaphas, King Herod and Pontius Pilate, together in a desperate plan to enlist disgruntled Christ-follower Judas Iscariot to deal with a disruptive homeless preacher. In so-doing they set in motion a string of events which even their joint might and deviousness could not contain, leading them and all their power structures to the Upper Room, to the hill of Golgotha, to the closely guarded tomb, to the Road to Emmaus, a journey through Easter. The worry and fear caused them by this Jesus of Nazareth was only equaled by their mistrust and hatred of each other. This popular 3 scene drama will make believers even among skeptics.

The Upper Room scene brings out all of the disciples with highlight of each.

NOTE: This drama includes components of DramaShare script "Celebration of Incompletion" but with a very different ending.

Cast:  21 speaking parts plus crowd

• Caiaphas
• Herod Antipas
• Pontius Pilate
• Cornelius, Pilate's attendant
• 12 men for disciples
• Narrator
• Mary
• Salome
• Joanna
• Martha
• people for crowd scenes as available

Bible Reference:   Luke 22

Set:

• Scene I is Pilate’s Palace, very rich and opulent
• Scene II Upper Room
• Road to Emmaus bare
• Painted black flats would serve as the scenery (with limited stage props).

Lighting:    spots as available

Sound:   wireless mics if available

Song:   none

SFX:  none

Costumes:    traditional

Props:

• Purse for Judas
• Basin & towel for foot washing
• Swords and clubs for army

Special Instructions:   none

Time:   30

SCENE I – Pilate’s Palace

(Scene opens, Pilate is pacing, upset. After a few seconds, an attendant comes on stage, followed by Herod Antipas.)

Attendant: Your excellency, King Herod is here for his appointment.

Pilate (mock bow to Herod): Yes, yes, so indeed he is. Thank you, Cornelius, that will be all. So then, almost the hour late, but here nonetheless! Well, well, finally, after begging an audience with us, our esteemed friend Herod Antipas sees fit to grace our chambers.

Herod (slight bow in return): May we take the liberty to correct you, friend Pontius Pilate? King Herod does not beg, for “audiences” as you put it, or for any other matter. And as to us being regrettably detained, you may thank Caiaphas and his lot for that!

Pilate: Well, well, “Caiaphas and his lot,” is it? We should think that “Caiaphas and his lot” would indeed be “your lot,” dear Herod Antipas! Are you not, nominally at least, a Jew? Or is that only at times when being Jewish benefits your cause? King Herod, King of the Jews! Oh my, yes, that truly has a definite ring to it! (thinks) Though if our memory serves us right, there appears to be a new Jewish king on the horizon, the Nazarene carpenter. (mocking) Beware, King Herod, lest King Jesus topple you from your royal Jewish throne! (laughs uncontrollably)

Herod (furious): May we suggest that Pontius Pilate not waste time flexing his own muscle until he determines what, if any, influence remains now that his protector Sejanus has been banished from the halls of power in Rome. We would assume that the future looks less radiant now that Tiberius has accused the once-mighty Sejanus of treason!

Pilate: Our future has never been tied to anyone else, not Sejanus, not Tiberius himself!

Herod: Dear man, you are too, too modest. Why, only days ago you, Pontius Pilate, were the fair-haired boy, the protégé of none other than Sejanus himself. Let us not toy with each other, sir. Your current influence in Rome is in dire question, so do not seek to overestimate your current status based on your once-considerable influence.

Pilate: We will handle the ups and downs of our own career. Take care, Herod Antipas, that you do not say something which one day you might regret.

Herod: Discretion is ever our byword, fear not. But enough of this senseless bickering, we have greater concerns, both of us, outside these walls.

Pilate: Really? And just what outside these walls might possibly be of concern to Pontius Pilate?

Herod: Enough of this sham, you know very well that the Nazarene on the one side and the temple lot on the other side leaves both of us squarely exposed and in the middle. And I fear that not Tiberius himself could bail us out if that happens.

Pilate: Caiaphas is your cohort, talk with him then!

Herod: Exactly the cause of my delay today. Just a short time ago, Caiaphas paid us a visit demanding that we do this and that for his cause!

(Attendant enters.)

Attendant: Your Excellency, Chief Priest Caiaphas asks to see you. I told him you were engaged, Excellency, but he . . . . .

(Caiaphas barges on stage, brushing the attendant out of the way, with Judas trailing behind.)

Pilate: Cornelius, what interruption now? And to what exactly do we owe this sudden intrusion? Dear Caiaphas, you are aware we make every attempt to put ourselves at your disposal, however at this moment, as you can see, we are predisposed. Perhaps tomorrow we can . . .

Caiaphas: What we have to discuss will not wait a day or an hour. And since my news concerns us all, it is well that Herod Antipas and yourself are here together.

Herod: And this earthshaking news of yours would be . . . .

Caiaphas: A resolution to a common problem, one Jesus of Nazareth.

Herod: Problem? Just who is this problem? What did you call him . . . Jesus? No, no, don’t believe I know to whom you refer.

Caiaphas: Time runs short. We would all be well advised not to squander opportunities with senseless idle chit-chat. Now then, in the matter of the disposal of the carpenter of Nazareth . . .

Pilate: And your friend here, rather ill at ease it would seem. Hardly dressed to the standards of you and your temple friends.

Caiaphas: He is not “one of us.” He is one of “them.”

Pilate: “Them”?

Caiaphas: He is, or was, a disciple of the Nazarene prophet.

Herod: What’s your name, disciple?

(Judas says nothing, looks around frightened.)

Caiaphas: His name is Judas, not that it matters. He is here offering to deliver the Nazarene to us.

Herod: And who is saying that we somehow need assistance in capturing the Nazarene?

Pilate: Oh yes, of course, leave it to Herod Antipas to capture the Nazarene! Mighty Herod, whose soldiers have been led on a merry chase throughout Galilee, and never once have they come close enough to the Nazarene to lay a finger on him.

(Lights down for preparation for Scene 2.)

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